John Godber

John Godber

1. INFLUENCES

   • Hull: the town that he worked and lived in.
     • He spends a lot of time observing people.
     • By listening to conversations, some of Godbers popular characters were created.
   • The world around him, his own experiences and the people he meets.
   • Inspiration from the landscape around him.
     • Countryside.
     • The coast.
   • His career as a teacher greatly influenced him.
   • Other practioners and writers.
     • Alan Ayckbourn.
     • Brecht.
     • Berkoff.

2. STYLE

   • language/dialogue is realistic and conversational.
   • His focus is working class people.
   • Realistic plays, realistic characters.
   • Northern background.
     • Northern characters.
     • Northern issues.
   • Comedy.
     • Light and dark humour.
       • Darker sides to humanity and society/ light hearted comedy.
     • Personal comedy.
       • He tried to portray comedy through the familiar.
       • Everyone will relate differently to his plays.
     • No set structure.
       • Bouncers makes you laugh all the way through.
       • Use of comedy has become more subtle/sophisticated and less obvious,
     • Stereotypes.
       • Laughing at the familiar and relating.
     • Social change.
       • Comedy that makes you think and relate.

3. BOUNCERS

   • Godber's most famous and popular play.
   • Inspiration from a club in Pontefract, Yorkshire.
   • First performed August 1977 in Edinburgh.
   • Cast and characters.
     • 4 men who multi-role.
       • Bouncers.
       • Lads.
       • Ladies.
   • Plot and structure.
     • Bouncers on the door of a club.
     • Working class lads and ladies having a night out.
     • Episodic.
       • Bouncers, Lads, Ladies.
       • Simple prop change.

4. SPACE

   • Intimate audience actor space.
     • Experience action and humour closer.
   • Small acting space.
     • Bigger the space, slower the action.
     • Being on the same level as the audience.
   • Basic set and props; house lights always on.
     • Makes the audience concentrate.